tgif and a graffiti bird giveaway!
It there's one thing I've learned over the past two years it's how to embrace the truth that I am often incredibly brave and scared shitless at the same time. I think I grew up believing that you were either brave or scared. I thought the goal was to use courage to steamroll over fear. The 2007 breakdown spiritual awakening that inspired this blog was one painful lesson on how to hold space for both fear and courage. At the same time. In the same moment.
For me, the growing-up part of midlife is really about learning how to be afraid and do it anyway.
How to be afraid of what people might think, but pushing forward anyway.
How to be afraid of people laughing or thinking that I'm ridiculous, but putting myself out there anyway.
How to be afraid of breaking the rules, but breaking them anyway.
How to be afraid to be vulnerable, but allowing myself to be honest and imperfect anyway.
Earlier this year I found a little "Be Brave" bird at one of my favorite shops in Houston, The Village Firefly. I kept it close to me during the first few ITIWJM Read-Along podcasts and posted this picture of it early in the series.
Well, as you can imagine, I received lots of emails about the bird! I tracked down the artist and we had a great chat on the phone. She even knew about the post because one of her friends was doing the read-along.
The graffiti birds are made by Dori at Dreaming Bear Designs in Marion, Iowa. Dori blogs here and her Etsy Shop is here! Check out the graffiti birds in her shop - very fun!
And . . . Dori is giving away entire flock of these inspiring birds to Ordinary Courage readers!
All you have to do to win is leave a comment answering the following questions (before Monday):
Who/what are you trusting today?
Who/what are you grateful for today?
Who/what is inspiring you today?
Five winners will receive a bird (I'll just randomly pick a bird and I'm quite sure you'll end up with the one you want.
Here's mine:
Today I'm trusting this lyric: "It was grace that taught my heart to fear. And grace my fears relieved."
I'm grateful that I'm healthy and my kids and Steve are healthy. Sometimes I'm grateful for small things like Bobbi Brown lipstick or my Orla Kiely coffee cup, but when I realize how many people around me are struggling with health issues, I want to stop and acknowledge my gratitude. Ironically, I'm almost afraid to be grateful for my health - like I'll jinx it. So, in the spirit of being brave and scared - I'll just say that I'm very grateful today.
I'm inspired by JK Rowling. I'm inspired by her talent, her imagination, and her perseverance. I'm inspired by the fact that Ellen has read 1500 pages of Harry Potter this summer and she can't stop. If you haven't watched Rowling's Harvard commencement address, you should. It's well worth the twenty minutes.
Can't wait to read your comments - they're always great medicine!
Happy TGIF.
07.17.2009
Reader Comments (78)
today i am grateful for my friends, who do whatever they can to be there for me, in whatever fashion i need. after a particularly awful week, they've been there as shoulders to cry on, as well as to be the clowns i needed for a laugh.
today i am inspired by my children, whom, no matter what, have a hug, a laugh and a smile.
thank you for you words of inspiration and the spark of creativity you provide.
namaste
Grateful today for David who believes in me and supports my every move
After weeks and weeks of rain & gray skies, the warmth of the sun is enveloping me today and inspiring me to shine outward
Connecting with your post today - thank you for sharing!
Who/what are you grateful for today? I am grateful for all of my amazing friends who have stood by me offering emotional support, loans, places to live temporarily, etc...
Who/what is inspiring you today? The song, Exactly, by Amy Steinberg
I'm grateful that I'm not the only person who thinks saying "we are healthy" out loud might somehow jinx me. So I'll be brave and afraid and say "I'm grateful that we are healthy."
I am inspired by the the wildly, imaginative women of the internet. My online community is helping me to spread my creative wings. I'm learning to fly by watching them.
I am grateful for my friends who care about me. I feel really humbled that they are nice enough to show that they care in this busy world.
I am inspired by my honesty.
I'm grateful the odd-shaped, scaly "thing" on my left shoulder was not a return of the skin cancer that's already caused quite a stir in my life.
I'm inspired by Gurdy, my 11+ year old "intellectually challenged", almost blind Shi Tzu. She still manages to channel her inner-diva and priss around like a pup after a good shampoo and cut!
Who/what are you grateful for today? I am grateful for good employers and managers. I am grateful they are willing to take a chance on me.
Who/what is inspiring you today? Tour de France is inspiring me today. Seeing people push themselves to their limit to achieve something that matters to them is very uplifting and inspiring.
Today, I am grateful for friends who immediately call when they know I need them, and make me feel like they are there for me 100% even though they live thousands of miles away.
Today, I am inspired by the joyful success stories of women who have been through it before and came out the other side.
Grateful: I am grateful for my health and for living in a free and democratic society; having traveled to Darfur, and listened to what some women there had to endure as sex slaves, held hostage by Janjawiid military, I feel blessed to have been born here, and to have only had to bear witness to their tragedy, and not to experience it myself firsthand.
Inspired: I am inspired by everything, and everyone around me. And especially at the moment by JK Rowling (I watched the ABC report on her last night, and re-watched The Order of the Phoenix, and her Harvard commencement speech) ~ her courage gives me courage to write, and to follow my own path.
So...
~ I'm trusting that all of this writing I'm doing has a purpose (and that someday I might even get to discover what that purpose might be).
~ I'm grateful that the sun is shining - not many things beat a sunny, Friday, summer afternoon.
~ I'm inspired by people who are totally comfortable in their own skin. AND by people are scared but go for it anyway.
I am trusting myself: my instincts, my gut, my emotions, my feelings, my heart.
Who/what are you grateful for today?
I am grateful for people and processes that have told me, again and again, that I can trust myself, that my voice matters, that my thoughts make sense, that my feelings are powerful and good, that being dangerous is beautiful, that I can and must risk.
Who/what is inspiring you today?
Space and time (shockingly) to rest - physically, emotionally, mentally. The sun is out. My kids are still at day-camp. And I've got a GREAT book (Style Statement) that's inviting me to dream on my own behalf. Even taking advantage of the space/time is inspiring! I CAN do it...with benefit and results. Amazing!
I'm grateful for my job and the flexibility it allows me.
I'm inspired by so many of the success stories I have read online for people in similar situations as I currently am in - I'm so encouraged about the path I am taking right now thanks to so many who are willing to take the time to share about their own journeys.
Grateful today for:
... my favorite women coming to spend the weekend with me
... being encircled in my baby's arms
... hearing "I love you" every day
... pear green tea
... a patient dog who takes his favorite red teddy bear to bed with him at night
... flowers from my garden
Inspired today by:
... indigenous diets
... the scent of my tomato plant
... dreams about unexpected color combination
Today I am grateful for good friends and a fun pool party to look forward to tonight.
Today I am inspired by the life of my husband's grandmother who recently died. She was an amazingly faithful woman.
Today I am grateful for a job. Although I am stressed finanacially, I think of a woman in Austin named Mary Lowry who told me that she thinks there is an abundance in the world. She said she thinks there is enough. She didn't expound and I'm trying to learn what that means to me. So, even though "I'm broke", I have a job and I have enough.
Who inspires me today? Well, about a week or so ago, I found out about a woman named Kate Harding on Twitter. She wrote a book titled Lessons from the Fat-O-Sphere: Quitting Dieting and Calling a Truce with your body. I read the introduction. I read the first chapter and I feel so much better about myself, about my body. Women like her inspire me to accept myself and love my body. And didn't Eve Ensler say that loving your body is a revolutionary act?
I am trusting that the space in between in the space where I need to be right now.
I am grateful for the talent and the fearless creativity I am blessed with right now.
I am inspired so very, very much by the down to Earth, dreamer, thinker woman extra-ordinaire, Patti Digh and her book, Life is a Verb.
(Loved that JK Rowling special too - what a brave "tryer" of a woman she is !)
Thanks Brene and Dori for the chance to win!
I am trusting in God’s protection. Ryan often does job search kind of work up at his Dad’s office. This week, he randomly stayed home one morning instead of going in. That was the morning an elderly woman drove her car straight into the glass windows of the office. Chances are very good that Ryan would have been seriously injured had he been there. I worry way too much about Ryan’s safety when he is out on the road, or hunting, etc. This week I received a very real reminder that God holds my husband in His hand.
I am grateful for Elizabeth’s sweet baby smell, and for all the little smiles her tiny one-month old self is trying to give us.
I am inspired by Kelly Rae Roberts. She makes art look like ridiculous amounts of fun, and makes me want to just jump right in and get super messy with paint!
I am trusting myself and my horse. we CAN ride by ourselves!
I am grateful for the peaceful and uneventful resolution of a potentially big obstacle in our lives.
I am inspired by the simple and powerful way that animals impact our lives.
Happy, healthy weekend to all!
-"if you want honesty, just ask your horse."
I am grateful that I can afford to treat myself to something that makes me smile while also being able to give to my favorite charity. (treating myself usually involves something on etsy)
I am inspired by almost 10-year-old daughter who loves to read and write. Perhaps I am a mother of a future author.
I am grateful for friends who love me and nurture me - take me to lunch, lend me books, listen - and especially the ones who loved me as an awkward teen.
I am inspired by the bits of my past I've been digging up - really want to create something cool with the photos, ticket stubs, etc.
What fantastic birds! They're just lovely.
I'm grateful for summer and great writers and rediscovering the joy of reading (I seem to lose it with each pregnancy).
I'm inspired by my son and his passion, which changes so easily and he feels no regrets about it but follows it with all his heart. Love it!
I'm grateful that an old supervisor took the time to meet me for lunch to explain why I did not get the job I was going for with the agency.
I'm inspired by the mother's who keep it all together as they struggle to support their family due to husband's being out of work due to the economy.
I am grateful for the friend that presented me with the above offer, for my mother and best friend for encouraging me, for all of my wonderful family and friends who give me their love and support daily.
I am inspired by other women who step out in faith despite the fear. Also by this blog entry. Perfect timing!
Today, I am trusting that going back to college is the PERFECT next step!
Who/what are you grateful for today?
Today, I am grateful for my husband who is helping me navigate on this great journey!
Who/what is inspiring you today?
My 4 kids are inspiring me today. They showed so much JOY at the children's museum today while learning new things!
I am grateful for my good friend Kate and the new level of friendship we are developing.
I am inspired by the creative souls I keep up with through blogs (including this one of course) who may live far, but inspire me on a daily basis.
Today I am trusting that staying in the moment of being lost and not fighting it will greatly help in teaching myself to be patient with myself.
I am grateful for my family and close friends who are so unbelievably supportive and patient during this time of my life.
I am inspired by the life I am heading towards one of honesty with myself, patience with myself and this movement towards authenticity of me. I am also so inspired because during this time of learning patience with myself I have become so incredibly more patient with my daughter. I was always patient before but it would require a deep breath and counts of ten. Now after learning a little bit of patience with myself it has become so much easier to just be patient. It really reminded me of the part of ITIWJM that you brought up we can not give our children what we can not give to ourselves.
Thank you for the space to share :)
I am grateful for multiple flavours of ice-cream and the choices that presents.
I am inspired by the sweet songs my children sing when they think no one is listening.
I am grateful for being surrounded by laughter more often than not. And for my health. And for the wonderful people around me.
I am inspired by this post and by what you described going through a couple of years ago. This is exactly what I'm dealing with now, and while I know it's for the best, it can still be hard at times.
I am grateful for the quiet moments with my dog, watching her sleep all curled up or in one of her crazy on-her-back positions. Watching her in her quiet moments reminds me of the kindness and sweetness of animals and reminds of the power of unconditional love.
I am inspired by the idea of working in my yard next week while I am on vacation. Nothing fancy but cleaning out some shrubs that just don't seem to be thriving, planting some perennials along the new fence that our neighbors put up, little things like that.
im grateful for interpreters. deaf people have it hard
im inspired by artists. i dont know how they do it!
Who/what are you grateful for today? I am grateful that I have had my dog for such a long time! He's in kidney failure now. He's 12.
Who/what is inspiring you today? Colors always inspire me!
Today I am grateful for this very silly black and white creature who follows me around the house, and who has been drowning/ bathing her toy mice the last couple of days. Even with my cat history she amazes me with her ability to just flop over and start purring for no apparent reason. Her joy (and ability to surrender) is infectious.
Today I am inspired by my students and their often-wide eyes. Their sense of wonder and amazement keeps me connected to that same sense, something that is far too easy to lose.
grateful: that my kids are so forgiving....i have so needed it the past two days
inspired: by the blue sky and bright sun today.
I am grateful, after some 37 years, to be me.
I am inspired by all of the amazing souls able to find the courage to be themselves.
Who/what are you grateful for today? I am grateful that we had such a nice weekend with our daughter and son in law and a fun trip home stopping in New Hope, PA.
Who/what is inspiring you today I went to an artists' reception for an abstract art show and it was very inspiring to see all the art that was being exhibited.
I am grateful for limeade with mint, a ripe heirloom tomato sandwich, hollyhocks taller than I, melted crayon drawings, watermelon with seeds that you spit across the lawn and Saint Stephen on the radio driving home this evening.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/3731445608/
Two girls who swam with gusto in that special way that only they can.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ridethewavesoflife/3731445628/
I am ever so grateful to my stalwart family and friends who carried me for so long and are now beginning to gently set me on my own two feet and watching me take my first real positive steps towards the other side of grieving.
I am inspired deeply by my children who are strong and wise and loving and encouraging and oh so very brave...they are my role models.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to think about these questions...I am now in search of my long lost and dusty gratitude journal.
I'm grateful that I got to spend time with my husband this afternoon.
I'm inspired by some of the great video tutorials on the web for just about anything!
Who/what are you grateful for today?Grateful I had my Mom all of my childhood and most of my adult life. She was wonderful and I miss her.
Who/what is inspiring you today? Chocolate! To savor and enjoy chocolate and slow down and be thankful. Thus I'm inspired to find new pleasures & adventures tomorrow.
Grateful - today I am grateful that for the first time in a long time I've woken up happy
Inspired - today honestly I feel inspired by this post. To know that I'm not the only who feels something but chooses to do push through anyway. Thank you
Who/what are you grateful for today? I am grateful for my parents. Each day I remind myself that I had the greatest childhood, in hopes that I will be providing the same for my own children. (Oh, I MUST call them today and thank them...again!)
Who/what is inspiring you today? I am somewhat inspired by the rain...the kids and I will be forced to stay inside to do what? Games? TV? Crafts? Wait...maybe we SHOULD run in the rain for just a bit!
I just found your site through a link from OMEGA....can't wait to acquaint myself with your works & blog! Thanks!
I've been inspired by TGIF and have it on my blog ... but here is a quick recap:
Today I am trusting the Fairies. They seem to be popping up all around and I've been working with Believing/Trusting/Invoking magic. So I am trying to do my part, do "the steps" and trust the fairies to supply the magic appropriate to my actions.
I am grateful for my husband ... we have been apart for 2 weeks and while my daughter is a joy, I truly realize in his absence how much he does and the burdens he shoulders with or for me.
I am inspired by the video projects popping up on people's blogs all in an effort to seek transformation and embracing bravery.
I hope one of those little birds can fly my way ... the fairies are needing a little help in my transformation/transition! - Thanks!
I'm bittersweet grateful that I only have one week left of my field placement - it will be amazing to start practicing in the field (and making money for it!) and especially living with my husband again, but that means leaving Duluth and all the connections I've co-created here.
I'm inspired by my marble jar friend Tracy, who has been so gracious and beautiful as she invested vulnerability in a relationship that didn't work out. I see her sadness and her disappointment, but I also see this core of authenticity. She brought her real self into this relationship, and instead of thinking that was the cause of the break-up, she's looking at how they weren't at the same level of investment and vulnerability. Amazing, inspiring, and so powerful.
I am ever so greatful for this blog, for a chance to take 5 minutes out of my crazy schedule to stop and relect on myself and remember whats imporant in life. It for some odd reason reminds me to keep myself a bit more creative-something I love but struggle with.
My three year old black Puggle is truly inspiring me. She is an animal that loves unconditionally, and I am so inspired by her ability to do that. I love her versatile spirit.
I am grateful for my health and my weight loss.
I am inspired by my friends on Crazy Quilt 4 Newbies yahoo group, who are generous and hold me up in their prayers.
www.sadiessilkenthreads.blogspot.com
Today I am grateful for my giant cup of coffee at 5:30 this morning.
My BFF Elicia continues to inspire me this week with her innate ability to find the good in every possible situation that life may throw at her.
I am trusting in my medicine (Chinese Medicine) to heal my patients
Who/what are you grateful for today?
I am grateful for my girlfriend Aimee who was able to find sitters to watch her children so that she could come and visit for the weekend.
Who/what is inspiring you today?
Blogs. I have found so many lately that daily inspire me. Love it!